Cheslyn Hay & District Local History Society

Our Exhibition was a tremendous success and after all the hard work, it certainly was worth it.
A request this week for William Henry Lockley who was born in Cheslyn Hay and Lynn wants to find out as much information as possible about her g-grandparents.  His wife was Charlotte Butler who died very young and the five children were left to be looked after by the father James Henry Lockley, but by 1910 he seems to have disappeared and the children were left to fend for themselves or taken in by local families. seemingly working in the brickworks.  Lynn’s grandfather, William Henry Lockley played football at league level, possibly West Bromwich and served in the Army in WWI.
   Our researcher Vi answers Maslen query from last week with full details of Caroline Sambrook and James Stokes with addresses and dates of marriages etc.
Fifty years ago in the local papers were details of the Children’s Gift Service with the Rev Luke Hicks, John Cartwright, Mrs Corona Price, Mr L C Hawkins, Mrs Dace and Mrs F Rogers.
And one hundred years ago there is a story of a serious accident involving Frederick Altree (32) whilst following his employment as a Stallman at the Great Wyrley Colliery.
More details via the email below.
trevor.cheslynhayhistory@talktalk.net

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Our Annual Exhibition is next Saturday, 24th September 2011 at the Village Hall/Community Centre Pinfold Lane from 10am – 5pm.  Open to members at 9.30am.  For the first time, Local Family Trees are on display and also Documents etc that have been catalogued, as well as over 7000 photographs available.  Plus a stand for the National Secretary of the Heir Hunters Association (re the TV programme) and the Launch of our new 64 page book ‘Cheslyn Hay Lives – Volume Two’ at £4.  Admission free.
Our Salem Base is open this Tuesday from 10am – 3pm as usual.
This weeks requests include two seaparate enquiries on the Merchant family as well as their connections with Edward Sambrook, John Glover and the Stokes family.
Responses include the origins of the ‘Owd Nation’ plus photographs as requested of the Masefield family.  Also more information on Richard Brough, Rhoda Whitehouse, George and Lucy Whitehouse and Mary Nevill.  Also news of Harry Wild(e) and Tom Beadsmore of Dundalk Lane.
Plus a book on Wartime Recipes and ‘Instructions for American Servicemen in Britain – 1942′. Plus a Mount Zion Sunday School Prize dated 1952.  All for our Archives.

‘What Happened this Week Fifty Years Ago’ include the death of  Mr Joseph Hy Crutchley of 106a High Street, Cheslyn Hay and details of his life.  Plus a story of eighteen students from the Malayan Training College at Brinsford visiting the Salem.
And Memories of Pinfold Lane Juniors include stories of teachers Mr David Berry, Mrs Joan Perks, Mrs Corona Price, Mr Blount and Miss Walmby.   Plus the lads of that era Tony Cartwright, Richard Berry and John Turner.
Fuller details can be obtained by emailing me below.
trevor.cheslynhayhistory@talktalk.net  

New Photographs this week of Nancy Dutton, Bernard Hassall, Len Pearce, Harold Talbot, the Stantons, the Stanleys, the Perrys, the Bickleys and the Masons.  Also the Landywood Residents Association Christmas Party at the Salem in1980, Elliot Lucas Christmas Party in the fifties and three Pinfold Lane photographs of the 1950s and 1960s all named inc Tony Cartwright’s class, Philip Chew’s class and the class with the Zazaluk twins.  Plus a lunch break at Elliot Lucas in the seventies, Carnival Princess Letitia Bowater and her entourage of 1967, Pinfold Lane School Sports, two Hawkins Sports football team in the 1990s and their Sports Committee.

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Our Salem Base will be open on Tuesday as usual from 10am to 3pm but this week we are expecting a visitor from Canada, Tim Plant, who would like to meet up with any connections with the Plant family.  Ivor is coming from Ross-on-Wye and we have sorted out all the photographs and documents for this family from our archives.  We expect Tim on Wednesday and anyone interested should contact me by email or 01922 414772.
Requests this week include one from Amanda Blood from Halifax is looking to contact any surviving member of her Masefield side of the family.  Details are Bernard and Matilda Masefield who had two sons Arthur and Lewis, who married Bridget Walsh and she died in 1949.  Lewis and Bridget lived in Cheslyn Hay and had seven children and Amanda would love a photograph of this family.
And responses from last week were explanations to ‘The Owd Nation’ and ‘The Turnings’.  And one of our members answers the request re Ann Whitehouse as she was her g-g-grandmother through her first marriage to James Whitehouse and that Joseph Baker was the brother of her g-g-grandfather, Henry Baker.
New photographs this week are of Ted Hawkins and family of Low Street and three Elliot Lucas photos – Office Staff of the 1950s, a coach trip and factory girls from the 1960s. Photos of the Wrights, the Stallard family, the Moores, Hortons, Feltons, Arthur Davies, the Bentons of Landywood Lane, the Perrys from the Lot, Red Lion Darts team, two Cheslyn Hay Villa FC of 1914, a Cheslyn Hay Girls Brigade from the 1970s, Len Stanley, Cheslyn Hay School sporting photos from the 1920s, WMC coach trips, Upper Landywood Sunday School Anniversary, some Pinfold Lane School Classes from the 1960s, Carnival photos and Mac Potts.  Plus several outside scenes of Park House, a Cheslyn Hay farmhouse, High Street, South Bungalow in Holly Lane, Willoughby Croft’s Off Licence, Bill Webb on his horse and cart, Thorne Cottage, three photos down Hawkins pit, workmen at Gilpins and Jubilee Day at Long Lane in Newtown on 6th May 1939.
Plus a copy of the 1930 Bowling League Official Handbook including details of two Cheslyn Hay WMC teams with captains J Webb and W Whitehouse and secretaries S Parbrook and J Mason.   The history of Cadmans Cottage in Sydney, New South Wales which was named after John Cadman of Bewdley who was transported for horse stealing and the strong possibillty of the connection with the Cadmans of Cheslyn Hay.
And in Mike Belcher’s column in ‘What Happened This Week 50 Years Ago’ include full details of the funeral of Mr Joseph Turner of 110 High Street, Cheslyn Hay, as well as his history.
The mention of Jack Martin last week prompted more recollections of him when he was Headmaster and  ‘Memories’ this week come from Peter Cadman on his time at Pinfold Lane and include many stories and happy times there including the names of Mrs Jeavons, Maureen Glaze, Ian Scott, Mrs Corona Price, Mr George Cadman, Mrs Dora Cooper, Beryl Cartwright, Melvyn Ponder,  David ‘Bert’ Parsons, Barry Brown, Michael Fletcher, Owen Lawson, Paul Whitehouse, Roger Fletcher, Roger ‘Butch’ Westwood, John Smallic, Nurse Wootton and Ann Sergeant.
Fuller details can be obtained via the email address below, or if required the full Weekly Newsletter can be sent every Sunday by joining  as a member for £5 annual fee.
trevor.cheslynhayhistory@talktalk.net
Our Annual Exhibition is one week next Saturday – 24th September 2011 when we launch our new book ‘Cheslyn Hay Lives – Volume Two’ at £4.  Also we have a joint Speakers Night with Great Wyrley LHS one week tomorrow (Monday 19th September) at the Great Wyrley Secondary School Theatre at 7.30pm.  There will be two speakers – John Devey on ‘The Tales of Churchbridge’ and Paul Ford on ‘A Mystery Photograph Album of an Edwardian Lady’ with both subjects very much based on local history.  Admission £1.

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Forthcoming events include our Coffee Morning this Thursday, 8th September 10am at the Salem which should provide another very entertaining ‘Speakers Corner’ with 4 x 4 minute talks on local memories followed by questions and discussions.  We are at the Cannock Chase Museum next weekend on Saturday and Sunday 10th/11th September from 11am – 4pm  for a Coal Mining and Local History Weekend.  Free admission.
Also tickets are now available for Salem Harvest Celebration Concert with the Great Wyrley Community Band on Saturday 24th September at 7.30pm.  Tickets are £5 and available at the Cedar Tree or phone 01922 415485/413791.
And our Salem Base will be open as usual on Tuesday 10am – 3pm for our help on all researches.
Requests with week include references to the top of the village being called ‘The Owd Nation’ and the beginning of Wolverhampton Road as ‘The Turnings’.  Has anyone ever heard of these names before?
Plus an enquiry on the Brough family, Job, youngest son of George and his emigration to America after he married Louisa Whitehouse.
Recent appeals have brought much response on Richard and Rhoda Brough (nee Whitehouse) and their ten children which also touches on the families of Clara Nightingale, Frederick Horton, Clarice Biddle, Eunice Cadman and Margaret Stanley. Plus information on the Moore family including Martha Matilda Moore, as well as more details on Joseph Baker as well as Elizabeth Wooton, Lucy Green and Ann Whitehouse.
And in the local newspapers of 50 years ago this week was the Cheslyn Hay Allotments and Cottage Gardeners Association Show with full details of Mr JH Poole, Mr WS Belcher, Mr E Bladon  and  Mr I Evans.   Also a news story about Marlene Dace, the 1961 Cannock Labour Party Gala Queen, her husband-to-be, Roy Pearce, her sister Judith, and friend Janet Illidge.
Reactions from previous ‘Memories’ include stories the renowned tenors Heddle Nash and Robert Easton, Arnold Hawkins and Joyce Bray.  Plus mentions of Fred and Clarice Biddle of 6 Dundalk Lane and Harry Bate’s horse Doll, and Aubrey Benton.
And finally details printed this week of the 14 year footballing career at Aston Villa of our old headmaster Jack Martin.
Further details can be obtained on any of these stories via the email below.
trevor.cheslynhayhistory@talktalk.net

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OUR SALEM BASE will be open as usual on Tuesday 10am to 3pm. Last week we had a very informative meeting on the Kingston and Bird families.
REQUESTS Andrew Pearson requests information on the family trees of Brough, Baker and Whitehouse. In particular George Brough, son of Richard Brough and Rhoda Whitehouse (daughter of George Whitehouse and Lucy Brindley). Plus Joseph Baker born c1802, son of Joseph Baker a farmer of fifty acres in Essington and his wife Elizabeth Wooton, who married Ann Whitehouse (Rhoda’s sister). George Whitehouse and Lucy had five children Rhoda (b1792), Simeon (b1795), Ann (b 1800), Charlotte (b1804) and Charles (b1805). Any details of the above would be appreciated.
And a former resident off the village, Cynthia Williams, who lived here from 1976-1998 wants a jog to her memory! She has contacted us through our website and remembers the industrial estate that was built off Coppice Lane and recalls Sue’s Tyres and Carols Discount but there was also a furniture/beds place and a DIY unit. And Cynthia wants help – just to put her mind at rest!
RESPONSES Pauline Turner responds as her grandmother was a Tricklebank and has researched the Tricklebank family tree. She has a photograph dating back to early last century of four generations of them. They emigrated to Pennsylvania and returned to Cheslyn Hay. Also one of our researchers Violet has confirmed that George Tricklebank, born 1826 in Tamworth and married to Mary Ann Cooper was in Cheslyn Hay in 1841.
Also Violet confirms that there were two families of Moores in 1911 in Cheslyn Hay, but the Moore family was a noted sporting family off the village with Charlie playing 328 times for Manchester United.
And Andrew Pearson gives Maslen details of Joseph Lawson who married Eliza Hubery and sends six sheets of this family tree. They lived at 2 High Street Cheslyn Hay in 1881 and Joseph Edwin Lawson was killed in an accident down the pit when the cage crashed to the ground. Violet also confirms this and adds that Eliza died in 1900.
And Ron Whitehouse replies to Pam Jukes re her ancestor Samuel Whitehouse (b1768 and christened at St Matthews in Walsall on 8th July 1768) and his father was Matthew and mother was Sarah. Samuel himself married Mary Burrows on 15th April 1811at Kingswinford. Their children were John (b1811), William (1819), Reuben (18270 and Frederick (1831) and were living in Saredon Road in 1841. Samuel died in 1841 and Mary went to live with William in Essington when he married.
NEW PHOTOGRAPHS A large backlog to be catalogued shortly.
ARCHIVE ADDITIONS/ARTEFACTS DONATIONS A copy of the Public Unveiling of the Cheslyn Hay War Memorial including the Order of Service, hymns and the ‘Complete List of the Fallen’. A Framed Certificate for J Orby Hawkins on passing the Young Peoples Examination for the United Methodist Church at the Salem in November 1918. A newspaper report of the tragic drowning of Great Wyrley High School teacher Richard Turner in 1961. Several certificates of Births, Marriages and Deaths of the Kingston and Bird families including names such as Selvey,Griffiths, Heller, Morgan, Till and Waddison. Also Memorial Cards of Mellor, Iliffe, Locker, Whitehouse and Stacey. And a tile manufactured at Rosemary Tileries donated by Carol Adshead when she discovered it whilst having work done in her kitchen.
WHAT HAPPENED THIS WEEK 100 YEARS AGO ….. by Mike Belcher
2nd September 1911 The following officials have been elected for the ensuing season to manage the affairs of Cheslyn Hay United – Chairman of Committee Mr L Clewley, Honorary Treasurer Mr P Carpenter, Honorary Secretary Mr I Stokes and Mr Ben Carpenter has also promised his assistance. In addition to the players mentioned last week, the following have since signed – H Pearson (Cheslyn Hay Juniors), W Noake (Little Bloxwich Wanderers) and E Linney (Walsall).
At the Cheslyn Hay Unionist garden party on Monday, Miss Hampton and Miss Carrie Whitehouse had charge of the coconut shy, the “Hoopla” was in the charge of Miss Browell. The first prize of a guinea set of woods for bowling was won by Mr W Hemingsley, Mr A Banks taking the second prize of a pipe valued at 5s. The prizes in the tennis tournament, given by Miss Minnie Hawkins, were won by Mr. Morris of Dudley, a handsome timepiece, and Miss D Fisher of Cannock, a gold bracelet charm.
In last week’s report from 1911, I am informed that the footballer L Hubery mentioned is Stephen Leonard Hubery b1891 in Bridgtown, son of Stephen Hubery and Eliza Bertha Annie Hawkins.
MEMORIES Duncan adds a couple of his own recollections from Peter’s ‘Cheslyn Hay Pets’ and he emails ‘ A Mr Jenkins lived on the corner of Rosemary Road and Low Street and he had a pet duck. The duck used to wander along all the local streets but nobody thought of shoving him in the oven because they all knew it was Jenkins’s duck. I also remember when Fred Wooton ran the Post Office and he had a son called Godfrey, who wasn’t the brightest spark but because of who he was he was made an officer in the Salem Boys Brigade. On Armistice Sunday it was decided that the Brigade should march past and salute the War Memorial. The route was to be from Salem down High Street passing the Memorial on the right hand side and Godfrey knew he had to give the eyes left. At the last minute the route was changed taking the Brigade down Cross Street then right into Low Street passing the Memorial on the left hand side and the inevitable happened. Godfrey gave his troupe ‘Eyes left’ saluting Mr Jenkins who was standing in his usual place behind the hedge, facing the Memorial, flat cap and all!
But this week’ Memories comes from our archives researched by Pat Everiss entitled ‘Delivery Men and Women’.
Amongst the people who made deliveries in the village were two ladies Edie Parkes and Martha Thomas. Edie worked alongside Walter Bull delivering mail from the Low Street Post Office and Martha kept a shop in Hatherton Street and delivered her greengrocery by horse and cart. Harry Bate who had a shop in the High Street near Bobby’s Entry also delivered greengrocery. His horse was named Doll which was, by coincidence, also his wife’s name.
Bill Ansell from Station Street delivered coal. He used to keep his horse in Mr Elwell’s field at the rear of houses in Coppice Lane. Frank Burton of Company Buildings also delivered coal and during the bad winter of 1946/7 he built a sledge which his horse pulled through the snow to make the deliveries.
A village character named Archie would move the ‘allowance coal’ out of the street, where it was dropped, into the coal shed or cellar, for one shilling. And Albert Potts used to push a barrow to the old railway station in Station Road to collect fish arriving by train. This delivery was always destined for Mr Shirley’s Fish and Chip shop in the High Street opposite Pinfold Lane. And of course there was the milkman and Greensill’s farm in Saredon Road delivered it.
GENERAL NEWS If anyone is having trouble receiving newsletters in unreadable form please let me know so that we can sort the problem out.
trevor.cheslynhayhistory@talktalk.net

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Mike Hewitt is our monthly speaker this Thursday 25th August at the Salem starting 7.30pm.  Entrance £1 and all are welcome.  Following his very successful talk of last summer he is continuing with another powerpoint presentation of ‘More Tales of Old Cannock’.
Our Salem Base will be open as usual on Tuesday 10am to 3pm and this Tuesday Amanda Blood is paying us a visit from Halifax to research the Kingston and Bird family trees.  We will be on hand to help on these trees so anyone with information or interest in these families will be most welcome.
Requests this week  include information on the Moore and Tricklebank families, one on Samuel Whitehouse and details of the family of Joseph Lawson b1849 in Stoney Stanton and living in Hatherton Street in 1901.
And responses from recent weeks have come in with detailed information on the John Whitehouse and Lydia Dace query, as well as the information for William Lunt.
And in ‘What happened 100 years ago’ Mike Belcher covers Cheslyn Hay United’s start to the new season with their players Lester, Whitehouse, Jones, M Lockett, Perry, W Wesley, Cooper, A Kingston, G Kingston, T Lockett, Wood, Westwood, Alsopp and Stokes, L Hubery, F Thomas, J Cooper, C Moore, Walter Bull, and F Stokes
And this week’s Memories Column covers Lodge Farm and Oscar Lewis and his son Ronald with mentions of Michael Griffiths, Derek Piggott and Derek Stanton. Plus more recollections of Trudge Harris from the Hutments.  And from our archives is a written piece on the old characters from the village including Harry Podmore, Joe Clewley, Trotty Jukes, Topper Davies, Sam Bills, the poacher Dick Benton, Mrs Shorter, Tompter Pearson and Rosanna Wolloxall.
And in General News, Ellen Farnell‘s poem was included in Peter Rhodes column in the Express & Star this week.
Fuller information can be obtained by emailing
trevor.cheslynhayhistory@talktalk.net 

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An enquiry received this week from Jane Taylor who is trying to find the date that her g-grandfather William Lunt died.  He was born around 1878 in Walsall and married Ellen/Helen Collier in 1901.   And we have provided the Frederick John Ridgway’s connection to the Withington family from last week through the Wood family.  And one of our members has given Ben Alcock help with his researches into his family tree as well information of his grandfather’s military record in WWI
Also more details of the old Plant family of 63 Littlewood Lane as well as Winnie Kingston, George Brough, John Whitehouse and Lydia Dace enquiries from a few weeks ago.
New photographs this week received of the ‘Razza’.

In the local newspapers of fifty years ago this week were reports on the death of Heddle Nash, with details of Cheslyn Hay’s musical background together with information on the Hawkins’ and Robert Easton.   Plus  a story of Cannock’s 1961 Labour Party Gala Queen, Miss Marlene Dace of  31 Windsor Road, Cheslyn Hay.

And this week’s Memories include Peter Cadman’s recollections from the village in the fifties mentioning the Parkes, Mr Hall, Derek Stanton,Vic Mears, Arnold Horton, the Morris family, Jean Hemmingsley, Dr Ken Williams, Major Tom Foulke, the Westwoods, Ted Wright, Percy Poole, the Doctors Malone and Ike Bradburn.

The Great Wyrley LHS has just released their first book which is called Great Wyrley Review.  64 pages and priced at £4 it is excellent value and we are carrying stocks of the book.  For anyone not local, postage costs are an extra £1.23p.
Janet Smith of Branksome in Station Street sadly passed away on Monday morning.  She has been a well respected member and a big friend of our society and is well known throughout the village.  Funeral is at the Salem on Thursday 18th August at 2pm.  No flowers but all donations to go to the Marie Curie fund.
More detailed information on any of the above items can be obtained via the email address below.  Free of charge of course.
trevor.cheslynhayhistory@talktalk.net

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John Griffiths is our guest speaker at our Coffee Morning this Thursday 11th August at 10am and his topic is ‘Tales from the Paddock’.
Our Salem Base will be open to allcomers as usual on Tuesday 10am to 3pm.
Requests this week come from Jill in Australia is trying to find a connection between Fred Ridgway and her Withington family.
New photographs have been received of the Cheslyn Hay v Landywood Primary Schools football match 1955/56 season with all 22 players named, Hawkins Sports FC 1979, Hawkins Bowls Team 1971, Frank Hackett and the Queens Silver Jubilee Parade in Leveson Avenue. Plus a newspaper cutting of the Cheslyn Hay WMC v the Wolves All Star XI in 1973 and an invoice from The Cheslyn Hay Press for our Archives.
And responses to the Plant family have been quite extensive with memories and stories of Leslie Plant and Tim has been put in touch with three different arms to his family and they will be meetin up when Tim visits here from Canada next month. And our researcher has also added connections to the family with the Stollards and the Hawkins’. And we have provided all the information on the William Whitehouse enquiry.

And ‘What happened this Week’ in 1961 includes the Rev WR Kerry’s baptisms of Carol Patricia Burton, Richard Dennis Tonks, Karen Julie Nicklin, Dawn Marie Palmer and Lorraine Joy Whitehouse.
And memories of ‘A Stroll around Cheslyn Hay in 1946′ the Mount Pleasant, and all the shops round there and the High Street with names of all the old village characters. And more memories developed from the Cheslyn Hay station enquiry have come in as well together with names of the train drivers.
Another 85 viewings on the staffspasttrack website of Cheslyn Hay postcards and photographs in July and included Brittania Picture House (16), Salem (16), Hackett’s Butcher’s Shop (13), Albert Hawkins shop (11), Walter Hackett (9), Garrett’s shop (8), High Street (8), Wootton’s Post Office (4).
Fuller information on all of the above can be obtained from the email address below
trevor.cheslynhayhistory@talktalk.net

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Our Base at the Salem will be open as usual on Tuesday 10am to 3pm. Last week we had another five visitors tracing family trees and also a batch of 40 old photographs loaned to us for copying and research. A plea from Pam Jukes of New Zealand who wants help to research her family trees of Ridgway and Whitehouse and also a request from Tim Plant of Canada who says his dad, Leslie Plant, was from Cheslyn Hay and born November 1923 and had brothers Jim and Ray and a sister and wants to trace his family connections as he and his wife are visiting England in September and wishes to see where his family came from. And Claire wishes to contact anyone with Bullivant family connections as she has a raft of photographs and newspaper cuttings in her possession which she is happy to share information. And Barbara from Birmingham responds to Ben Alcock’s request of last week as she is part of the Alcock family as is Chris from Kettering and both provide details of family trees and military service etc. And the railway saga rumbles on with recollections of POWs home from the war, of schooldays and trainspotting! Also recollections of the Brays and the Bladens living at the top of Park Street. Quite a few of new photographs have been handed in with one exceptional one. It is of Bill Webb local ‘Grocer’ with his horse and cart on his delivery rounds in the 1920s and additions to the archives include written comments and pencil drawings together with dates on the back of the organ screen at the Salem from 100 years ago by M Lockett and Bert Elwell, George Wylde, H Rose, S Smith, G Chetter, R Fletcher 43 High Street and a not very flattering cartoon of Arnold Hawkins! Local newspaper reports from 5th August 1911 include the court appearances of Walter Owen and Raymond Jones of Hill Street arrested by PC Smith. And this week’s Memories come from Ray Franks’s 1946 Stroll around Cheslyn Hay, written in 1996, and include the shops and buildings in Station Street and the High Street as well as the Rec, the Railroad and Chapel Square and Off Licences and Sweet Shops and what has replaced them today. More information on any of these items can be provide free of charge on request. trevor.cheslynhayhistory@talktalk.net

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This month’s speaker is Malcolm Astley talking on the life of Sir Christopher Wren at the Salem on Thursday 28th July at 7.30pm.  £1 including refreshments.  Our Salem Base is open as usual on Tuesday from 10am to 3pm and this week we welcome members of the Stacey family tracing their local connections.  We have a request this week from  Sheila in Lancashire who wants to trace her favourite teacher Mr Frank Smith who taught Maths at the High School in the sixties.    And Nigel is tracing his Stacey family and is asking if there is anyone with any knowledge or connections to this family from Low Street. Ben Alcock is also after information on his grandfather Frank William Alcock who married Lillian Allsop and lived in Cheslyn Hay. More responses have been received on the Kingston and the Shorter family trees as well as some conflicting information as to whether there was a station at Cheslyn Hay or Landywood in the fifties or not. Two of the best footballing photographs imaginable have been handed in of the Cheslyn Hay Villa of 1913/14 but with no names. Many of them are easily recognisable though and we will be putting names to them.    More additions to our archives this week include several original newspapers of important events of the last century as well as of Howard Benton and his choir successes. Also local shop receipts going back to 1937 and other Cheslyn Hay artefacts.  In Mike Belcher’s report of local newstories of this week in 1911 and 1961 there are reports of the funeral of Jesse Crutchley and extensive coverage of the final of the Butchers Cup in which the Woodman thrashed the Castle of Bridgtown. And we continue with memories from 1946 with stories concerning the Busby family, Harry Larger, Ethel Horton (nee Rhodes), Harry North, Percy Hudson,  the Bailey, Poole and Bills families,  Mr Bladen,  Granny Cosavello, Chris Jervis, Police Sergeant Bill Donaldson, Mr Norman, Harry Rogers, Owen’s shop, Len Smith, Derek Griffin, Ron Hicks, Tracey Webb, Gill Bullock, Jane Turner, Jill Flanagan, Julie Bradbury and  Karen Avery.  Also memories of the school cross country run and the 1926 Miner’s Strike.  Full details of the Cheslyn hay & District LHS Weekly News (24 July 2011) can be obtained free of charge at the email address below.
trevor.cheslynhayhistory@talktalk.net

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Mike Birch from Australia would like to know more of the Cheslyn Hay/Great Wyrley railway as he remembers the station was sited on the Station Road bridge and Cheslyn Hay was one side and Great Wyrley the other. On Sundays he and his mates would catch the Bloxwich train to Rugeley town then walk to Trent Valley to spend the day trainspotting.  He didn’t think there was a station serving Landywood in those days as there is today and there was only one station in Bloxwich.  Mr Beeching closed this line down many years ago and it remained closed for many years apart from goods trains and when diversions were needed.  Can anyone help?  New member Andrew has sent us a remarkable 137 page long document of the descendants of Joseph Shorter the shoemaker with over 200 descendants including many local names – Dace, Lawson etc. Andrew also supplies more information on the recent enquiries from the Lawson, Stokes and Thomas trees.  and he had information of both sides of Wilfred’s family. And Dorothy from Stone adds to the John Whitehouse and Lydia Dace saga as they were Dorothy’s g-g-grandparents and Julie responds to the Wilkes/Bentons query with full details of their trees as they were also her great grand parents.  A series of new photographs this week include several of the Don and Diane Dance Centre over the last forty years, the christening mug of Joseph Stokes of 1846 and a photo of Joseph Kempson Stokes who was killed in WWI, Emily Hackett in the munitons factory, the Honeytots from the 1960s, Pinfold Lane School photo of 1959 with Mr Martin and Mr Blount and six photos of the Bullivant family including the weddings of Edgar Herriott and Violet as well as Albert and Marion Turner. And for the archives this week we have more newspaper cuttings and pictures of Pinfold Lane football team captained by Jimmy Goodman and vice captain Ronnie Benton, athletics picture of Ian Lawson and two Speech Day pictures and articles including Sid Boswell, Carol Johnson and 13 others.  A price list of Bullock Brothers (Edge Tools) Ltd of the 1950s and a reference for James Whittingham dated 4th July 1951. Newspaper reports from 50 and 100 years ago include the funeral of 30 year old Enoch Marshall that was attended by 2000 people and the death and inquest of local man Sydner Barbeck. The Memories article this week gives a first hand account of Cheslyn Hay as it was in 1946 with all the shops, buildings etc. We welcome all visitors to our base open as usual every Tuesday at the back of the Salem from 10am – 3pm. Fuller details can be forwarded on any of the above items by contacting me at the email address below. trevor.cheslynhayhistory@talktalk.net

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